Southern California -- this just in

Future of Dodger Trolley uncertain

The fate of bus service from Union Station to Dodger Stadium for games this season remained in limbo as the Los Angeles City Council's transportation committee took no action Wednesday on the issue.

Neither the city nor the Dodgers want to pay for the bus service, which began last July, was free to passengers and proved popular. Service could cost from $383,000 to $630,000 for the season. The city is facing a budget shortfall, and the Dodgers say they are already contributing plenty of money to city coffers through taxes and that it's the job of government to provide mass transit.

In the meantime, the city and the Dodgers are continuing talks about finding sponsors to pay for the buses, according to city and team officials. "The collaboration between the city of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Dodgers continues, and I remain optimistic that this will be resolved and that the Dodger Trolley will be in place for the 2009 baseball season," said Howard Sunkin, a senior vice president of the McCourt Group.